Leatherman MUT Military Utility Tool

The Leatherman® MUT® (Military Utility Tool) is the ultimate multi-tool for military and law enforcement professionals, as well as civilian shooters. It is the first multi-tool to combine Leatherman’s most used utility tool features with essential firearms maintenance tools. The MUT was designed with the maintenance requirements of the AR-15/M16 family of firearms in mind.

The MUT was developed over a period of two years. SFC Aaron Hampton and SFC Robbie Johnson of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning consulted in its development. The MUT was tested and refined in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as military bases.

The MUT has a number of unique features that make it ideal for the armed professional. These include a bolt override tool for clearing bolt override malfunctions, removable 1/8-inch firearm disassembly punch, bronze carbon scraper that won’t scar weapon components, threaded cleaning rod and brush adapters for all standard 8/32-inch threaded rods and brushes, screwdriver bits sized for sighting adjustment work, a front sight adjustment tool and 3/8-inch wrench, hammer and a shrouded cutting hook. A 3/32-inch Glock and handgun firearm disassembly punch is available as an optional accessory.

Leatherman literally wrote the book on multi-tools. The MUT is no exception. The MUT is an exceptional heavy-duty multi-tool for all-around use. It will perform virtually any task in which a standard Leatherman multi-tool would be expected to perform.

The MUT is constructed of stainless steel with 420HC blades and 154CM cutters. All of the blades and tools lock into place. The MUT features outside accessible blades for one-handed employment. It has a carabineer clip and a removable titanium pocket clip. It weighs in at 11.2 ounces, less than a loaded 30-round magazine. Most of the commonly used components on the MUT can be quickly replaced in the field using a Torx #8. This is a big plus since the entire tool need not be replaced if a component becomes worn or broken.

Although Leatherman uses a proprietary bit driver, the included tool steel bits will take care of most of the tasks in which the MUT may be expected to perform. If additional bits are necessary, an accessory bit kit is available from Leatherman that includes 21 bits.

An EOD model of the MUT is also available. Designed for EOD technicians, the MUT EOD has a mil-spec cap crimper built into the pliers and a replaceable C4 punch instead of the firearm disassembly punch of the standard MUT. Black oxide versions of the MUT and MUT EOD are available. The only real advantage to black oxide is reduced visual signature (decreased reflectivity). Black oxide adds only mild additional corrosion resistance.

The Leatherman MUT has a MSRP of $179 and comes with a MOLLE sheath in coyote or black and a 3/8-inch and .5-inch wrench accessory. As with all Leatherman tools, the MUT is made in the USA and has a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty. There is simply no other multi-tool on the market like the Leatherman MUT. It’s the essential multi-tool for anyone who carries an AR.

Eugene Nielsen provides investigative and tactical consulting services and is a former officer. He may be reached at eugene.nielsen@live.com.